News
Error costs Astros in finish of May 5 game
Tejada's miscue allows Nats to score winner in 11thBy Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
07/09/09 7:48 PM ET
HOUSTON -- All it took was seven minutes for the Washington Nationals to pick up a victory over the Astros on Thursday.Nyjer Morgan scored the winning run from second base on a throwing error by Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada in the bottom of the 11th inning to send Washington to an 11-10 win in the resumption of a suspended game at Minute Maid Park.
"That didnt take very long, did it?" Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "There's not much you can say. The ball just got away from [Tejada]. He didn't do it deliberately. The ball just gets away sometimes. I can't tell you guys, I don't know."
The game, which was suspended by rain May 5 in Washington, was tied at 10 in the bottom of the 11th inning with one out and a runner at first base. The runner originally at first base for the Nationals was Elijah Dukes, who is no longer on the active roster. Dukes was replaced at first by Morgan, who came over in a trade from the Pirates.
Astros reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who was on the mound when the game ended May 5, gave up a one-out single to Josh Willingham when the game resumed Thursday. With runners at first and second and one out, pinch-hitter Josh Bard hit a ground ball to second baseman Jeff Keppinger.
Keppinger flipped to Tejada at second base to start a double play, but the All-Star shortstop's throw to first base sailed over the head of Lance Berkman, allowing Morgan to score easily to give the Nationals a walk-off win on the road. It was Tejada's second error of the game.
Joel Hanrahan, who has since been traded from the Nationals, collected the win. Hawkins got the loss.
Although it took only seven minutes to complete the suspended game, the official time of game was 3 hours, 59 minutes.
All position players who were used and removed from the game May 5 were not eligible to return to the game, a list that included outfielders Carlos Lee and Jason Michaels and pitchers Roy Oswalt, Chris Sampson, Tim Byrdak and Geoff Geary for the Astros.
The Astros hadn't played host to a suspended game or the resumption of a suspended game since June 13, 1999, when the Astros and Padres suspended a game because of a seizure suffered by Astros manager Larry Dierker. The game was resumed July 23, 1999, at the Astrodome.
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
